


By your side

by lavlien



Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: Erwin - Freeform, Levi - Freeform, Leviackerman, M/M, Shingeki - Freeform, attackontitan, eruri - Freeform, erwinsmith, shingekinokyojin, snk
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-09-14
Updated: 2016-09-14
Packaged: 2018-08-15 01:53:24
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 16,087
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8037589
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lavlien/pseuds/lavlien
Summary: An alternative version of the first meeting of Erwin and Levi. The point is the same: Erwin is a commander of the Survey Corps and Levi is an offender. The difficulties of correction, a great deal of angst and a little bit of violence.





	1. The Meeting.

**Author's Note:**

> All thanks to dear Sternenkind, It would never be able without her long and hard work with translation from Russian into English.  
> By the way, this fic has been written in 2013, sо it has nothing in common with the canon facts we know now. So you can read it as an alternative story.

I’m at war with the world cause I  
Ain’t never gonna sell my soul  
I’ve already made up my mind  
No matter what I can’t be bought or sold ©

Erwin Smith, a commander of one of the smallest squads, detested visiting the towns, closely located to the capital. Unfortunately, he had to do this more often, than going beyond the walls. Even those, who aspired freedom, couldn't avoid bureaucracy. The reporting was strictly controlled and any mistakes could cause severe punishment. The authorities preferred to be aware of spending finances. They would like to know about each coin.

The majority of them supposed existing of Scouting Legion rather meaningless and argued against sponsoring the soldiers, due to numerous deaths beyond the walls. However, the legion acted separately from other departments. There, in the central regions, everything was full of pathos and pretentiousness. Military Police walked down clean streets at an easy pace and looked down people. Everyone there lived in prosperity and comfort. They didn't know anything about real life. Smith was sick of such fellows, who hadn't ever known what poverty meant. From time to time he even imagined how he would be scared, if they faced titans down such nastily clean streets. Titans... Anyway, any enemy would be more dangerous than common street criminals.  
So, about criminals. It seemed that four of them would have to finish their nasty career. As Erwin had got into the local Military Police office, he noticed four cuffed bandits, waiting quietly in the hall. It seemed that Police finally started working. The fellows were not civilians, who were about stealing apples at the market or just fighting with a neighbor. Erwin knew that they were experienced robbers, fraudsters and murderers. Their sins were reflected in the black depth of their pupils. Evil and mental suffering filled their sights. If you dared to come closer and deeper into such black abyss of sorrow, you could see such side of life, that was meant to be unspoken. After such journey into the very filth of life you would feel so dirty and befouled.

"I see you work without cease," Erwin said to sergeant. It was his well-known mate, Martin Marsh.

The last one didn't notice Erwin at once, because of dealing with documents. No wonder, the Police had even more paper-work. On the other hand, if they hadn't such kind of work, they wouldn't do anything at all.

"Good afternoon," Erwin said again.

"Oh, Smith. Haven't seen you for ages," Marsh replied.

"As I wish, I wouldn't come at all," he answered and they shook hands, "What's going on here?" Erwin glanced at the prisoners."

"They ordered to start elimination of criminal gangs. These fellows are from Senta area, the east of Maria. We've been chasing them for three days, huh."

"Why are they here? Not in prison."

"Our prison's full. The elimination has already being held for two weeks. They'll be taken away soon."

"Well, work hard," Smith grinned, "May be you'll get rid of crime there".

"Do you suppose that it's interesting for the king? Huh. People, who live in the back country, kill each other. Even if they started eating themselves, no one would do anything. There's something else why they gather such dregs. But they don't tell us," Marsh shrugged, " but I don't care".

"Anyway, nothing good is going to happen with them," Erwin turned and started looking at prisoners attentively. The four were not adults. They probably could be called teenagers. Smith was interested what could have forced them to follow such way of living.

"Is it compassion, Smith?"

"Look at them, Martin. They're just children, young enough. I supposed they haven't even turned twenty. They are just cruel little creatures. We, who live in comfort and prosperity, can't judge them. "

"Do you think it's possible to change their nature? To my mind, the best thing they can do is to be executed for good."

"I don't understand how you've become such a bitchy bastard." Erwin drew a sigh.

There were such days, when Erwin lost a great amount of comrades because of titans, but he remembered them. Young heroes, memory of whom was full of light, lived inside his soul and helped him to hold on. Unfortunately, Smith lost a lot of friends within the walls due to insatiable and deceitful government's pressure. Looking at such corrupted bastards, Erwin couldn't understand what kind of Humanity he tried to fight for.

"Not everyone should be a noble fighter of Humanity like you," Marsh shrugged, "Well, give me the papers to sign and then you'll go away. I don't have much time for chatting with you".

Erwin sat down on the brunch, facing the prisoners. All of them were looking down and it seemed they were ashamed because of who they are, but it was untrue. They were not ashamed of what they had done. They weren't frightened. Erwin was sure that each one was thinking how to escape. Erwin was sure that no one was going to surrender easily. Such fellows were about to fight for living. Not even the best soldiers had such strong will as the prisoners did.

A couple minutes later, two armed policemen entered the hall. The prisoners raised heads like real hounds who had just got the wind of danger.

"Up!', a policeman told to one of them.

Erwin was sure that the fellow was going to disobey. The prisoner was so nervous, restless and he was scared of punishment. Smith supposed that the guy had just been caught for the first time. The guy dodged, shouting curses, but a bit later he was hit into the head with a shoulder stock. He had felt unconsciously and then the policemen brought him outside and then returned for the next one.

"Take your papers, Smith," Marsh threw the folder on his table.

"Yes, thank you," Erwin stood up. The action at hall wasn't about ending. One of the arrested guys, a short black headed boy, was following the policemen, but a few steps forward, the guy kicked a gun out of the officer's hands. The officer, who was going ahead, couldn't even turn around. The boy kicked his knees and the policeman lost his balance. Then the black-headed beat him straight to the head and the policeman fell down. Another officer grabbed prisoner's shoulders, but the boy tripped him and beat into the face with his knee. What a terrific hit. The second officer faced the floor too. Blood from the broken noses on the pure marble floor looked ridiculously. The boy was going to escape at the moment...

"Hey, you! Stay there!", Marsh shouted in rage.

Erwin knew how the fight would end, but he wasn't going to do anything. He was just watching this attempt to escape. There was something strange, even weird in watching this. It looked like he was peeping something forbidden.

It was pretty curious that Erwin understood the boy. The fellow wanted to be free as much as Erwin wanted. His freedom was different. It was restricted not only with fifty-meter-high walls but also with the Statute of the Law. Nevertheless, he lived his life following someone's rules, but had he ever known anything about freedom? Who, he or the boy, really knew a lot more about it? Did Erwin have the right to talk about it?

Martin Marsh had been working in Military Police for so long. That peaceful years, full of rustling papers, hand-writing and creaking pens made him get out of shape. He just could to scary someone with his position and authority. Despite the impressive size and height, Marsh was clumsy and awkward. The prisoner could have noticed such limitations so that he faced the enemy with an invisible grin. The boy knew about his future victory.

That how it was: Marsh was waving his arms and tried to catch the boy, but quickly breathed out. He couldn't even touch the criminal. The prisoner wasn't confused because of bounded hands. He preferred fighting with legs. His movements were extremely quick and reminded Erwin a strange aggressive dance. Smith could hardly remember all his punches and hits. Martin was two head taller than the boy and three times wider, but the boy was quicker. The boy realized that he couldn't win just by fighting that way. When he appeared behind Martin's back, he tried to pick a gun up. He couldn't make a shot due to cuffs on the wrists, so he decided to hit him with a shoulder butt.

Erwin interfered.

"Stay still!"

Smith wasn't surprised that the boy obeyed. Domineering intonation and leadership made him do this. You couldn't control only titans, and there was the way how to deal with people. Even with such bandits like the boy, whose insolent grin faded away, when their glances met. The prisoner grasped what kind of opponents Erwin was. Smith was a threat of an absolutely different level. The prisoner couldn't meet anyone like him, wondering back streets in criminal areas. The boy braced himself and his eyes gleamed dangerously.

"You, Martin, stop it too, you're not young enough to fight," Erwin said, noticing that a sergeant, who had already woken up, directed his steps to the black-headed fellow.

"Die, you crud!", Marsh angrily cried and slapped bandit's face. Martin picked up the gun.

Power of Marsh's hit was as great as he was. The boy flew back and fell on his knees. Inner stubbornness didn't let him do nothing. He tried to stand up. Erwin decided to control the situation and got closer to the boy. He stood up in from of the commander. To see the face of his new enemy, the prisoner had to throw back his own head. Erwin was almost two heads higher. Prisoner's head barely could reach Smith's shoulders. The boy didn't seem so short from a distance. It was pretty amusing that such fragile-looking guy was so strong. He was skinny, angular, slightly stooped, due to what he seemed to be shorter. His eyes were unusual: light-grey, almost white. His eyelids were heavy and shadows with wrinkles under his eyes showed that he was not less than twenty-year-old guy, who spent five or more years on the streets. Only due to his height and shape Smith supposed that he was a teenager. Erwin got closer and an illusion of youth disappeared. It was a murderer, who was staring at him.

Without doubt.

The previous arrested guy wasn't as dangerous as that one. He could be a part of some great robberies and nothing more. But "the boy" was cold as a dead man. He reminded Death in flesh. Everyone who followed such way of living were like that. Erwin smelled stranger's scent: rubbish, street, decease and blood. It was strange, but that time the commander wasn't disgusted and he felt improper care. He wanted to wash the guy, to wipe a mark of hungry life from his face. It didn't fit him. Something wrong of his appearance started annoying Smith.

"Stay where you are.", Erwin said.

The arrested fellow didn't obey once more. It was so risky but the guy decided to put all of his remained power in the very last hit. He knew the fighting in half strength was for nothing. Erwin caught his ankle and then punched the fellow into his chest. The prisoner bent, but tried to jump back and to take a breath. Erwin didn't let him do this and beat his back, he caught his black long hair to prevent prisoner's falling.

"If you dare to do anything else, I'll hurt you. Do you understand?", Smith got closer to boy's face and stared at narrowed eyes, full of anger and pain. The boy didn't change his facial expression. He didn't say anything. He didn't even nod. But Erwin knew: the boy understood him at all. He was a risky guy, who could bear the pain, but he wasn't a fool and he wouldn't rock the boat to no purpose.

"You, asshole! I would have shot him, bastard!"

Erwin turned, hearing the shutter sound. Martin aimed the gun.

"Marsh, you're aiming me".

"Go aside and I will kill him right here!" his finger upon the trigger was trembling dangerously. Marsh was as wrathful as a creature from hell.

"Calm down, my friend, you need him alive," Erwin raised his hands and got stepped aside.

"What the hell's difference? One more, one less. The life of this bastard is not even worth the dust on my boots! I'll find five more instead of him!".

Being aimed, not everyone could stay calm and impassive. Of course, the homeless boy faced Death so many times. He had nothing but luck and he payed his own blood and sweat for each new dawn. Death was such a common thing for him, and life was a luxurious one. There was no fear in his eyes, but only barely perceivable shadow of regret. What he hadn't done and hadn't seen yet?

Erwin's intuition rarely failed. The next moment he pushed the boy in the shoulder and he fell aside. The fired bullet almost scratched his temple. Boy's eyes widened from fear. Perhaps he hadn't ever been so close to his own death.

"Marsh, damn you! Stop shooting right now!" Erwin pulled the gun out his hands and threw it away.

"Lost my temper," Martin still looked so angry and frowning, but his voice was full of uncertainty, "I haven't expected that he's so nimble. I hate such thugs".

"Just relax and remember that the service is dangerous and difficult," Erwin smiled again. A plan of future actions, based on guesses and assumptions, had already stricken his head, "He nicely knocked them, " he said about the policemen, lying on the floor, who were not about waking up," If you don't need him, would you mind me taking him away?"

"What are you talking about, Smith?"

"You've just almost killed him. You don't have to report about him. It doesn't matter one more or one less, so let me take him away. He can be useful."

"Actually, I didn't mean to kill him," Martin looked totally discouraged, "I would be punished for such action."

"If you misbehave once again? Let me prevent you from such responsibility. Don't you that you won't get rid of problems?"

"Why are you so keen on it, Smith? This bastards must be taken to prison soon. What should I tell the policemen, when they wake up? "

"Are they going to go this soon? Call the doctors."

Martin hesitated, but nodded.

"Think so."

"There're only four prisoners right now," Smith persisted, "Transportation of criminals requires a lot of money and efforts and you will send the wagon for not less than ten prisoners. They will come to take the prisoners away in two days. Come on, Martin, if you need this one, I promise, I'll take him back tomorrow."  
"In the same condition?"

"Can't promise this, " Erwin laughed.

"You're strange. What are you going to do with him?" Martin asked suspiciously.

"There's one business."

"I think I've guessed", Martin frowned and shook his head, "Damn you, Smith, your tastes are weird."

"You'd better start jogging in the morning, you know, or you'll be out of breath due to walking soon."

"Take your papers, " Martin took the folder from the table and put into the hands of the commander unceremoniously," I'll hardly want to see you soon".

" Have a good day too, Martin. Why are you relaxing here?" Erwin grabbed the boy sitting on the floor, "Go".

As soon as they came out of the police building, Smith pulled his newfound companion to a corner.

"Do you want to do this right here? Don't want to wait?" his voice was low and husky. If the indifference in his eyes was caused by the way of living, the indifference in his voice was absolutely natural.

"Oh, you know human's language. I'm glad. It won't be so boring for us..." Erwin pulled a wipe out of his pocket and started trying to wash the traces of the fight off bandit's face.

"What the fuck are you doing?" he tried to escape, but Smith was holding his shoulder tightly.

"Making you look neat."

"Make yourself."

"We have to do down the streets, full of officers of the Police, and I'm not authorized to deal with the prisoners. If they see you, you will be returned here immediately. I don't think you want it".

The boy became silent, allowing Smith to wash off his face.

"For what do you need me?" there was no interest in his voice.

"Any ideas?"

"I think you're going to fuck me, kill and leave in one of the lanes." he shrugged.

"How wonderful thoughts you have," Erwin signed, took away the wipe and took off his Scouting Legion cape. It was good that he wore it almost everyday.

The cape was too big for the boy, but handcuffs and blood stains on clothing were invisible.

"If you try to escape, you will have only yourself to blame," Erwin knew, that he wouldn't try. The boy didn't understand Erwin's motives but he was interested in it.

***

"The main thing is to pass the central streets. There won't be as much officers as here. They won't pay attention to you.." Erwin said, when they were hiding on the side street to shorten the way and not to eyesore King's sergeants.

"Oh, you really saved me," poisonous sarcasm.

Erwin decided not to remind him that he saved his life a half of an hour ago. He thought that there would be a moment, when such fact become meaningful.

"Where are you from?" Smith asked, not waiting for an answer, but for an insult. . However the guy was very talkative, when there were no strangers.

"Jerico district".

"North-West of Maria?"

"Have you been there, commander?"

"Never, but heard about frequent crimes there."

"Don't poke your nose. They don't like the rich. You'll loose your wallet, if you're distracted. And, perhaps, without hands, holding it".

"How many hands you've already cut, if you are up to your elbows in blood?" the boy didn't answer but looked at him gloomily. If he had a power to burn someone with his sight, Erwin could have already turned to ash, "I see. You could not get used to the fact that it is necessary to kill someone to save your own life. You're a murderer, and you hate it," Erwin's saw that his companion stopped and turned to him, "Cut to the heart?" Erwin stared at his eyes. The boy seemed to be ready to break Smith into pieces due to his comprehension.

"I'd rather kill with great pleasure such know-it-alls like you. You don't know anything about me, so just piss off and shut the fuck up!"

Erwin laughed genially and such reaction irritated his opponent even more.

"Shove it!", the guy spitted on asphalt.

"What behavior".

"Fuck, let me go! I can't hear you anymore".

"Uh, no. Don't you really think that I have taken you away just because of kindness? You're useful. If you try, of course," Erwin added, " unless you do this, you'll go straight to prison. But it seems to me that you're going to try".

"Hey, you freak, if you're taking me away for fun, shoot me right now".

"Are you expecting only something like that?" Erwin frowned, "Wait, you..."

He didn't have enough time to express his gloomy assumption. The boy jumped closer and attempted to hit his kneecap. Erwin bounced aside. It was a glancing blow, but quite painful. The boy wasn't going to stop and give up. The commander kicked him over and sat upon, pressing him with all his weight. He grabbed his hands above boy's head just in case.

The sleeves of the large sweater fell down to the elbow, showing a dirty, stained dark brown bandage on his left wrist. The boy held his breath. It seemed like Erwin had just uncovered his great secret.

The bandage had been worn for a long time. The material had already dried up and stuck to boy's hand. The boy bit his lip, because Erwin literally teared the bandage off. The commander was surprised when he saw the scars on his wrist. They were practically identical in thickness and length. You could even say that they looked perfectly symmetrical, as if they were applied as decoration. Erwin knew nothing about this injuries. Who. When. What for. But the fact that the boy was trying to hide them, caused such hideous and irrational compassion.

Erwin felt himself like he broke into someones world. He pulled down the sleeves and got up to go forward. There was no use to turn to know that the skinny black-headed boy was following him.

The first barrier was passed.

***

"You're welcome," Erwin said, opening the door. He was probably a bit crazy to get someone like the thug into his house. But Erwin trusted his intuition. He supposed that there would be more benefits than problems. Smith was an excellent judge of character. He perfectly saw boy's fortitude. It was enough. There were more hate and aggression and less insolence and rudeness. Everything needed was just to direct it correctly.

"Probably, you haven't been invited to decent houses for long?", Erwin grinned.

"I saw the better houses", he snorted.

"But you didn't live there", Smith picked the lock of the handcuffs with an awl and they fell down, " You're free".

The boy rubbed his wrists and then slowly put down his hands and got the back straight. Erwin compared with a little creature. Small one, but courageous, who was ready to cling to the enemies' throats. Air in the room was heating rapidly. Erwin almost felt physical pressure. Smith made a couple of steps and put the awl into the drawer. There was no doubt that his guest could stick a knife into Erwin's back without regrets.

"Do you intend another fighting?"

"Calm down. I just tested you," he snorted," Go ahead, commander. What's your offer?" the boy crossed his arms and looked at him sullenly.

"My name's Erwin".

"Oh, fuck"

Smith sighed accusingly.

"What's the difference," he sat down on the sofa and crossed his legs imposingly.

"For me to know how to call you, " Erwin explained. The boy was absolutely surprised, " I don't care how you've been called earlier and who you have been. Just tell me the name to respond.

"Go to hell".

"Doesn't sound well".

"Idiot", he snorted.

"Better".

The boy abruptly jumped up from the coach and got closer to Erwin, staring at his face from below.

"How I hate you all. All of you think that you're above the others, wearing this damn jackets with stripes, and pretend that you're gods? You despise people like me, put chains on our wrists, thinking that it is right. You have only one Truth and don't want to understand another one. You're a bunch of pricks".

Erwin bent his head a bit to the side and listened to him with false interest.

When his speech came to an end, Smith just smiled.

"Go and wash. You stink".

Erwin was absolutely calm, but the boy began blushing gradually , whether because of shame or anger. Erwin suspected both and started laughing unwillingly.

"Where to go?" the boy could barely say it.

Still laughing, Erwin brought him to the bathroom. Looking at the door, Smith tried to find some clothes for him. Finally, he chose the smallest pants and a shirt and got into the room.

"Hey, why are you here?" the boy was sitting in the bathtub full of water. He hugged his knees and looked at him like a hunted creature.

"I brought you some clothes".

Smith left the clothes on the sink. It was a great mistake to cast a glance at him. Erwin stopped to look at boy's body, marked with scars and bruises. There were very old ones and new, which he got during the previous fight. Erwin perfectly knew about wounds healing and he could say for sure that the old ones appeared at least five years ago. Unlike the wounds on boy's arm, the old ones he obtained due to a lot of attempts to get food and survive.

The boy's body was wiry and fit, like an experienced fighter one, who spent a lot of time in motion. If he had a normal diet, he would be stronger and more massive, but the constant lack of food had a noticeable effect on him. Erwin was irrationally enchanted because of his thin wrists, the rough line of the collarbones and sharp knees. A lot of time had passed before Smith forced himself to stop that shameless examining. It was quite strange that the boy didn't say anything rude and witty because of such fact. Erwin left the bathroom without a word.

The boy left the bathroom almost a half of an hour later, wearing only Smith's shirt. The right sleeve was rolled up to the elbow and the left one was dangling loosely to the fingertips. The hem of the shirt almost covered his knees.

"What's your height?", Erwin frowned.

"Take a ruler and try to measure", the boy grumbled, "Your leg is twice bigger than mine".

"Sorry", Smith shrugged, " I don't keep differently sized clothes".

"A thread".

"What?"

"Give me a thread and a needle. I'll mend it".

Erwin was surprised due to such request but found the essentials. The boy sat down on the coach and started mending the trousers skilfully.

"Something tells me that you haven't sewed up your clothes", Erwin stood beside him to watch the process. He was genuinely surprised.

"Generally I darned my wounds," he said unemotionally, "What the hell you need me for?", the boy added.

"I want you to join the Scouting Legion", Erwin sat down on the opposite side of the coach. He plaited his fingers and stared at him, waiting for the answer.

"What? Seriously?", he cast a glance on the commander and put the trousers away.

Erwin nodded without saying a word.

"You want me to join the group of idiots, who believe that they can get rid of the titans and can afford people to live beyond the walls? I'm not mad".

"There are not only titans beyond the walls, but freedom".

"Oh, yes, sure. Tell me this, when your guts will be in the jaws of one of this giant assholes".

"Didn't you follow the same purpose today?", Erwin asked enthusiastically,"You were ready for pain and to die, but you still was fighting for your freedom. If you were captured and put into the cage without a chance to escape it, would you rather prefer to die or to pass the whole life, being locked up?"

The boy had been staring at him for a long time before he pursed his lips, admitting his defeat but he looked like Erwin had just offended him.

"And after all of this you still call us idiots? If you think that to be beyond the walls is worse than live here, you're completely wrong. Behavior of titans is obvious, but the humans' one is not".

"Oh, you can't even imagine how perfectly I know humans' cruelty." he abruptly turned and shrugged his shoulders angrily.

"Your state shows it well. Why are you hiding your arm?"

"None of your damn business. By the way, I'm not going to join your Survey Corps and be gobbled as well".

"Oh, you have other plans," Erwin grinned," It seemed to me that you had been captured and they were going to judge you. If you disagree, I'll bring you back tomorrow".

"If you catch me".

"I don't remember telling them that I'll bring you back healthy and alive. You're a criminal and if you reject my generous suggestion, I'll fulfill my duty without compunction".

"Do you have so few people that you want me, a bandit, to join the Legion?" the guy looked at him with a sincere misunderstanding. He didn't judge Erwin for it, because he understood that Smith's venture was insane.

"You're a good fighter and your speed is phenomenal. I've never seen someone like you before. It will be good for us to have such a skilled warrior. I am the commander of one of the units. Two abnormal titans had attacked us the last time we were beyond the walls. My soldiers had hard times. "

"Abnormal?"

"We call so such titans, whose behavior and physical abilities are unpredictable", Erwin explained," Two of my the best fighters were killed. I'm looking for a decent replacement, but the graduates of the cadet corps don't hurry to join our ranks".

"Why do you think that I'm going to?"

"Firstly, you can do it. Secondly, you have no choice".

"So. Don't you think that I will steal your money and disappear in unknown direction?"

"You will be completely under my responsibility and supervision."

"You're sick as fuck. All of you are mad", he shook his head. He couldn't believe in everything what was happening," You decided to become a tutor?"

"You'll never live a normal life, but another one. You'll have food to eat, a place where to sleep. They won't haunt for you".

"It sounds more convincing than your rubbish about freedom".

"Excellent, we found an advantage. Nice beginning".

"And then, I will live with you? Is it about cooking breakfast and doing laundry? Maybe we can get a cat?"

"Yes, for the first time you'll live with me until you don't get rid of your street habits. Then I will ask a room for you in the headquarters of the Survey Corps. We have enough vacant places. We always have enough.

The guy frowned.

"So easily? I don't believe you".

"It's more realistic than you suppose".

"Why do you think that I'm not satisfied with everything I have? Why do you think that I need a warm bead and...that I want to change".

"You wouldn't be sitting here without being slightly interested".

"You're right", he looked away," "I have my own purposes".

"I remember that you're going to steal our belongings and disappear. There's no doubt that you can do it. What about my suggestion? Will you withstand?"

The guy screwed up his eyes. Erwin smiled. He hooked the fish. The opponent felt such a familiar emulative spirit. Who would win that day? Who would get lucky? Who would survive? Who would trample the heads of the enemies with the soles of heavy boots? The boy had his own cruel and filthy rules to follow. He does not understand and does not accept compromises, beliefs and kind words.

He hates weakness.

"Will you withstand?"

"I will."

"My name is Levi," his former indifference returned, but Smith was sure that he wasn't indifferent at all. It was just a perfect mask that hid inside the fire of anticipation due to the new game.

"Do you have the first name, Levi?", Erwin smiled slightly.

"There's no use. I have already forgotten it. Don't ever ask me about it again."

Erwin agreed mentally. He wasn't going to put pressure on him. Actually he was going to avoid violence. It was enough for Levi. The boy had too much bitter and horrible memories. That day showed that he could cope with sorrows but one day he wouldn't be able to keep his pain inside. His habits would destroy completely easily. The whole world would be theirs. Erwin knew that one day all Levi's pain would break out.

Erwin knew how it was going to happen. Dramatically. Uncontrollably. Erwin was ready to share all future difficulties of life.

All in all, everybody wanted not to be alone for sometime, especially when Death was behind your shoulder, when you were surrounded by titans or attacked by a criminal.

Erwin Smith was thirty years old and he had never had a family and he would never have one. Rare woman would agree to marry a soldier from the Scouting Legion. Two weeks ago he lost his best warriors and friends, who had been fighting beside him for three years. He knew that it happened everywhere, over and over again. He wasn't hurt, there wasn't a lump in the throat. He didn't ache down to the core because of grief. He didn't feel anything, when he stood by the fire, where his comrades' bodies were burning.

His comrades remains.

Only black painted emptiness was widening.

The world was cruel.

Erwin was waiting for someone, who could challenge the universe like he did. He was waiting for someone who wasn't afraid of the world's cruelty who accepted its challenges and survived. He could rely just on someone like this. He didn't want to see how fearless soldiers throw their blades and start begging deaf indifferent God to save their lives.

He wanted someone who had been already broken and who had recovered. He wanted someone who wasn't going to beg for mercy and to kneel. He wanted someone who wasn't afraid of death.  
Erwin felt that darkness in his soul was fading away. Smith wanted to smile, looking at the grumpy rude boy, who found himself beside Erwin by chance. Erwin knew such bastards, who were good enough just for titans to eat, and Levi wasn't one like them. It would be wrong to say that there was something light and bright inside him. He had his own peculiar sense of justice, special moral values and rules of life. He had nothing in common with such scums, who had already forgotten about morality. Erwin was sure that Levi had never attacked someone who was weaker before, he hadn't cause any harm to animals and hadn't stolen the last piece of bread from the poor.

He was free from the world, but it wasn't free inside.  
He could do anything, but he didn't allow himself to do it.  
Had he known that one day he would meet his commander and start learning how to live?  
Erwin Smith wanted him.  
Erwin wouldn't let him go.

It seemed they both had realized everything because Levi didn't look so complacent and insolent. He was staring at Erwin like he wanted to ask to let him go and to forget about him at all or he desired to be saved from the nightmares of his past. He was so proud that he couldn't say it aloud, but he hoped that everything was reflected in his eyes. He expected that the commander was smart enough to guess.

"You're mine", it was hard to say. The words were like poisonous smoke that spread all over the body and hit every tiny cell.

"Will you withstand?"

An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.

"We're both in danger."


	2. The Imminence.

Levi rested on the sofa. Erwin wasn't sure that it would be a quiet night, so he made up his mind to be awake. He sat down on the chair on the opposite side of the room. Who knew, was his guest sleeping or waiting for the moment to do something unexpected.

When it turned too annoying, Erwin decided to check how deep boy's sleep was. He rose and stepped as quietly as he could, he got closer to the sofa. Levi had rolled from side to side a couple of times and then, finally, calmed down and rested, facing the back of the sofa, tucking his legs.

Levi didn't look defenceless. His face was still frowning and the back was hard. His sleep was light; Levi was ready to rose, if he heard any kind of rustling. This reflex would remain for the rest of his life. Erwin risked being hit into the face with a leg, even if he just decided to bend upon the sleeping boy.

Such a weak argument.

He put his palm upon Levi's hip. The boy shivered and nothing more. The absence of the reaction surprised Erwin. Was he so tired that he was sleeping like a babe? Did he allowed himself to believe in comfort and safety? Erwin had no idea how much time Levi spent, being prisoned, and where he had been before, because he had no intention to inform the commander about it. However, if he hadn't slept for a couple of days, it wasn't strange.

Levi had such a cold skin, and Erwin noticed that he was almost trembling. It wasn't warm enough like in summer, and Smith understood that he should have inflamed the fireplace. The commander felt like an ignorant parent, who had failed to look after his child. He became ashamed because of such a mistake, but not for touching Levi's hip. Levi turned and Erwin found his hand under boy's shirt, close to his groin. Levi opened his mouth and took deep, but short breath.

Intimate, sexual, fascinating.

Smith made himself to put away his hand, because it was wrong to touch, when someone was sleeping. It was like to beat someone, who was lying on the ground.  
Immorally. Smith covered Levi with a warm cosy blanket and sat down on the stool, trying not to look at him again.

He felt asleep almost in the morning but not for long. Muffled sound from the kitchen woke him up. There was no one on the sofa and the blanket was lying on the floor. Reproaching himself due to sleep, he hurried to the kitchen.

"Levi?", they faced at the doorway of the kitchen.

The boy instinctively jumped back and looked at Smith gloomily, keeping his arms behind his back.

"What's there?", Erwin asked and tried to go around him, but the boy had been moving back stubbornly until he crashed into the wall behind, "Levi", Smith repeated quietly and strictly.

Smith softly touched his arm and pulled it gently. Levi permitted him to do this without resisting. He pressed his lips together like a naughty child, put his head down and showed a small stolen piece of white bread.

"Why did you do this?"

"I'm starving. I haven't eaten anything for four days."

"Levi", Smith touched his chin, forcing him to raise his head, "You could just ask". Erwin understood a bit later that the boy hadn't known yet anything about asking. He knew just how to take and fight for.

"Well, look, if you want something, just tell me about it. Don't do anything secretly! Forget how it has been before."

"Don't you think it's so easy?"

"It's very difficult, but you'll cope with it."

Levi had looked grumpy for sometime, but then he sighed and shrugged.

"Fine. Can I...?", Levi meant the piece of bread he was still keeping.

"Eat", Smith nodded.

He bite the piece of bread like a hungry predator would bite a piece of fresh flesh of the long waited victim. A half of a minute later there were only crumbs. Levi was still very hungry but he was silent. He pursed his lips and stared somewhere at Erwin's chest. It would take a lot of time for him to learn how to ask. At that moment he was a man of steel who didn't need and feel anything.

"I can offer you a delicious nourishing breakfast. I cook quite good", Erwin genially smiled.

***

It was almost early morning when Erwin put a plate with hot flavorful food on the table.

"Bon appetite", Smith sat down in front of Levi.

The boy was using cutlery really skillfully. Erwin's guesses that appeared the last evening confirmed.

"How do you know?"

Levi stopped eating with his mouth full, put away the implements and looked at him.

"What?"

"You know how to use a fork and a knife. Yesterday you didn't ask me how to use a bath. You feel comfortable here like you didn't come from streets."

"I saw how others do this", it was such a fake answer, but Levi was going to say nothing more. "What will we do today?"

"It's a good question", Erwin stood up and got to the window,"I'm not going to spend time anymore. You have to learn how to use a 3d maneuver gear and only after this we'll know what to do next."

"3dMG? That boxes that you fly with?"

"Yes, that boxes", Erwin scratched his forehead," Don't say anything like this being among soldiers, please. Three dimension maneuver gear is a right name."

"I don't fucking care", Levi shrugged. His face expressed complacency. "I know how to use it."

Erwin wasn't really surprised. He heard about existing of the black market where everyone could buy a 3dMG that were intended to soldiers. The Scouting Legion didn't have enough time for such scams, so Erwin knew nothing about it.

"Do you have your own one?"

"Once I've had. Broken."

"Well, show your skill. Get ready."

Erwin's trousers were still extremely big for Levi and he literally had to sew them at that exact moment. He was grumbling a lot.

"If they fall down in public, you'll be the first to beat," he hissed.

"You can put on your old clothes."

"No. It's dirty", Levi frowned.

Dirty? Did Erwin hear right? Yesterday's homeless said something about cleanliness?

"Stop grumbling. Let's go. When we come, you'll put on a uniform."

Somewhere on the horizon the sum was rising, when Erwin and Levi went out. Air was cold like at night and Erwin noticed that Levi had wrapped up his cape tighter.

"Go a bit ahead", Smith said and held out his hand.

Levi ignored it and made a few rapid steps forward, shouldering Erwin aside. He continued walking almost three meters away from the commander.

"It's not 'a bit'!"

"Go faster. Don't be like an old buffer", Levi slightly turned.

Erwin overtook him immediately, because his step was twice wider than Levi's and the boy almost had to run to be in front of the commander.

"To the left right now", Erwin said mockingly. He imagined his companion's dissatisfied face expression well.

The main city square was crowded. It was so noisy because of carts with different goods and voices of the early-morning picky buyers. Having noticed such a thing, Levi slowed down and Smith ran into him.

"Damn, careful!"

"Apologies", Erwin put a hand on Levi's shoulder,"Just go forward. There are a lot of policemen. They won't notice anyone from the Legion and they know me well".

Levi took off Erwin's hand, put on a hood and continued going without a word.

It would be a miracle to leave such a trouble block without any accidents.

It seemed that Levi was going to get in trouble by himself. He approached one of the tents, surrounded by well-dressed people and then... Erwin barely could notice his movements, because of green cape. Vanity of the street was the best disguise. Levi exploited the situation nicely. The cart, riding closely, was a perfect hideaway. Crying baby in the tent nearby was a good to distract. Sudden movements, people swearing and hubbub helped thief to disappear. Erwin noticed the green cape pretty far from the place of the crime and hurried up.

"What are you doing?", he approached Levi, grabbed his shoulder. The boy pretended that he hadn't noticed him and continued going. He slowed down only when they had already left the very center of the busy square.

"I need some clothes", he demonstrated a small bag with coins in his hand, "It's humiliating to ask you".

"Is it not humiliating for you to steal?"

"That asshole deserved it!"

"If you do something like that again, I will take your hand and lead you like a child!", Erwin hissed and grabbed tighter Levi's shoulder. A moment later he took off his palm and pushed the boy forward.

"Look, will they believe that you're my daddy?"

"You look like a sixteen-year-old in distance. You're twice younger than me".

"And...face to face?"

"Face to face I would have given you twenty five years because of your sight, but you're younger".

"I'm almost twenty. In winter. If I stay alive."

"I thought so".

The rest of the way they spent in silence. Levi was no longer to arrange any riots. He felt Erwin's hard stare, directed to his back. There was no doubt that Erwin would force him to restrain.  
A dark enormous building, located among the warehouses in the industrial area of the city, was the current Headquarters of the Scouting Legion. There were no people, who were just passing by. There were only special training courts for soldiers, that occupied the whole space from the back door of the Headquarters to the wall Maria.

Erwin opened the door and gestured Levi to enter. The room looked abandoned: there were no one in the corridors and air was musty and dusty. The soldiers of the Legion preferred to spend their free time in the library of the Headquarters or in their own rooms. They had a special study for meetings, but there was nothing similar to a lobby for guests. Survey Corps lived its own life. A rare person desired to know the followers closer.

Erwin came to one of the many shelves and got a stack of papers.

"What will we do?" asked Levi without interest.

"We'll go to the warehouse to take your new uniform and 3dmg".

"Just get inside and take?"

"No, not just come", Erwin showed him the papers, "We have to report about the amount of the equipment in use, but we rarely have new recruits and it's not a problem to take one set".

"Do you have a lot of soldiers from the street?"

"There were a couple of people, who couldn't be trained due to some reasons. Training is required for employees of the Military Police and the Garrison. We don't have such strict rules. Sometimes it's enough to have a wish and a couple of months of training. Even the best graduate can die in five minutes being beyond the walls. It's too unpredictable and depends on luck. But going beyond the walls, you must know three things: the weakest spot of the titans is its neck, the horses' speed exceed the speed of the titans and it's your only advantage over them, and the last one is not to engage the titans into battle on the open area. Remember these rules".

They got into the building and down to the basement, which was, however, very spacious and well lit. The sets of 3dmg, soldiers' uniform and different useful devices for going beyond the walls were stored right there. The officers took care of them, keeping the room dry and clean. Near the entrance was a small desk for convenient paperwork on the spot. The whole equipment was stored on the shelves, that filled the whole room. All the devices were sorted due to sizes and characteristics.

Erwin had free access to the equipment. Each commander had his own key for the storage. Once there had been a special manager, who had looked after the storage, but after several disappearings of the fasteners and gears, they decided not to employ anyone unknown.

"Hold it", Smith took one of the used gears, that were stored there for trainings, and put it in Levi's hands,"It's not new, but fully functional".

While the boy was staring the device, he got into the very depth of the room and tried to find a uniform to fit. The majority of the sets were sewed for men like him: tall and strong. He had spent not just one minute to find something right in size for Levi and finally succeeded.

Levi had already put the gear on the floor, leaned against the wall, and, with a bored expression on his face, was waiting for Smith.

"It should fit you. The straps are adjustable. Get dressed, while I'm filling in the papers", he left the uniform for Levi and sat down at the table.

He heard quiet rustle of the removed clothes behind. Levi had no thought to go somewhere else. He left to change his clothes a few meters from Smith. If he started to throw away his clothes, Erwin's patience would die.  
Time was going so slowly. Erwin was counting seconds. He was trying to listen carefully to the sounds behind and not to turn at the wrong moment.

"Hey, Erwin, how to put on this fucking straps?"

Erwin turned and sighed with relief, because Levi was wearing the trousers and the boots of the uniform. The boy was absolutely entangled in the fastenings.

"You told that you have already used 3dmg. I thought you have known everything", Erwin didn't even try to hide sarcasm in his voice.

"Design is inconvenient", Levi said grimly, trying to turn the back strap.

"It never changed. Every detail of the system is important. Otherwise, we would be unable to use it", explained Erwin. Levi was still trying to do something with the strap," Oh! Stop moving!", and Levi abruptly put down his hands.

Erwin had to fasten the straps extremely tight. For the first fitting it wasn't strange. Erwin was checking the fixtures without any emotion oh his face. He was waiting for Levi's sarcastic remark, when he reached the straps on his hips, but the boy stood motionlessly. It seemed he wasn't breathing at all at that moment. Quiet silence flooded the room and Erwin stopped, obeying to its calmness. It was warm like Levi's breathes, like his body underneath the light fabric of the shirt, like Erwin's own hand that was caressing boy's back.

Levi abruptly throw back his head and arched his body. It seemed that he either wanted to ask for something or hit Erwin because of willfulness. At that very moment the door of the basement opened and a soldier of the Legion, wearing a green cape, appeared. Levi immediately tensed due the third man. Erwin felt it physically, still keeping his hand on Levi's back.

"Commander Smith", the soldier walked down stairs. Having stood in front of Erwin, he nodded in greeting.

"Morning, Connell."

"Haven't seen you here so early...and it's the first time I see him", he meant Levi.

"He had just joined."

"Have there recently been a graduation of cadets?", Connell asked, looking at Levi with suspicion.

"Not really. He's very skillful and I have been allowed to take him earlier to start practicing", Erwin accurately moved his hand from Levi's back and put it on his shoulder, trying to support him mentally a bit. He knew how "glad" Levi was at that moment because of unexpected guest.

"Skillful? Your will, commander, your will...Make him to cut his tangles. He'll immediately hang on the branches, even without using a gear."

Levi enraged in seconds. He endeavored to go forward, but Erwin's hand, lying on his shoulder, didn't allow him to move and show Connell who would be the first to "hang on". The result had already been known. Erwin found himself thinking that it would have been pretty interesting to know, how Levi supposed to "teach" Connell a "lesson". Levi was almost stronger than any soldier of the Survey Corps, except a couple of people. Connell actually wasn't one of them. Erwin saved him from tight hugs with the floor of the basement.

"We have to go. Have a nice day, Connell", Erwin picked up the gear and left the basement with Levi. Being there with a babble could cause some troubles.

"I hate people", Levi hissed after they had got outside.

"Try to react calmly. He said nothing offensive", Erwin sighed.

"Most of them don't have to say anything to be assholes."

"Are you special?"

"I'm worse".

"Let's just exercise", they left the building and went to the special court, which was used to test gears and to train maneuvers.

The area, which was one square kilometer in size, was surrounded by a big fence. There were a lot of different types of buildings that imitated offices and houses. The constructions, made of wood or brick, had either flat or shallow rooves. Some of them were destroyed, some were in poor condition. It was specially made to train soldiers how to land on a dangerous structure.

"I won't allow anyone to laugh at me, Erwin", Levi still didn't feel like working.

Erwin had been staring into his eyes for some time and he saw no youth and happiness. The thought about what Levi had had to cope with before scared the man.

"If someone of your soldiers try to joke on me, you won't stop me", he added a moment later.

"Levi, it's not street. Try to use words, not your fists. People will treat you the same you treat them."

"Oh, really", he suddenly grimaced. Levi started laughing, and the sound of his laughter was so sharp and cold. It was good for cutting glass. There was a hint of madness in his laughter and it seemed he was funny and scared at the same time,"I've never heard anything more stupid. You can't even imagine what the hell my life have been before. Your people did everything what they want. They didn't give a fuck about screams and people's pain...", he put his hands on the straps on his chest and said, "I can protect myself, Erwin".

"It's the reason of you being here", said the commander, "I don't need milksops".

Levi didn't say a word and Erwin supposed that there was no use to add anything more. They would have enough time for straight talks. A moment later they finally started training until the very end of the day. Levi really had used a gear before, so he felt so confident, being in air, and maneuvered perfectly.

Usually beginners couldn't calculate the force or the speed of their gears and so that they got a lot of injures and bruises after crashing into the walls, because of bad attempts to turn or to land. Sometimes there were such soldiers who couldn't avoid any accidents at all. Cadets often broke heads, arms and legs and their training was always failed. Levi was moving so easily, as if he had spent his whole life above the town and not in cold caves and abandoned dungeons. Anyway, he didn't mention how long he had been using 3dmg.

Throughout the day, Erwin had been trying to figure out Levi's weak point and he succeeded at last.

"Levi, wait", Smith shouted to him," You stop too abruptly".

Levi, who wanted to continue moving, made a graceful turn in the air and landed on the grass next to the commander. Erwin was looking at him all time from the ground.

"Try not to slow down so rapidly! Land smoothly! You don't land carefully. It looks like you just fall. You may sprain or broke your leg, Levi, due to such carelessness. Your legs should be specially protected."

"What are you talking about?"

"You have very strong legs, Levi, you know it well. You attack mostly when you jump or turn and kick. If something happens with your leg, you won't be able to fight."

Confirming Erwin's words, Levi jumped and attempted to hit the commander, but Erwin caught his ankle.

"I can stand like this for long", Levi said calmly.

"I can hold you much longer", Erwin answered, " Your hands were so wounded that you couldn't even take something. You've perfectly learned how to use your legs for fighting", there was no doubt in his voice. Erwin was absolutely sure in his assumption. 

"Why do you poke and pry?" Levi grinned like a dangerous predator.

Erwin stretched his hand and put it on Levi's knee, still holding boy's ankle.

"To understand you."

"I'm disgusted by your impeccability. Piss off", said Levi indifferently.

Erwin wasn't hurried to piss off. He stepped a bit forward, raised his hands and put one of them underneath Levi's knee and on his hip.

"I want to know you."

Levi slightly hit Smith's chest with an elbow. He raised his hand, maintaining some distance between them.

"Want?", there was no second meaning, just straight question. No, it was just a request. Levi suddenly got back and freed from Erwin's hands like nothing had happened a couple of minutes before, " Let's go".

The commander agreed. The sun was setting on the horizon, a cold wind started to blow. Although, Levi looked so exhausted after the whole day of physical activity, he didn't show it at all.  
Smith hardly had some time to rejoice such luck that they had spent the whole day together without any other people , when soldiers of the Survey Corps appeared at the entrance. Unlike Connell, with whom Erwin didn't meet really often, that trio he knew very well: Jack, Willy and Andreas, the best soldiers of the Legion, who had already taken a part in a lot of expeditions, were considered the "elite". They had very specific senses of humor, especially in relation to beginners, and complicated natures except fighting characteristics. Other people forgave them for rudeness, because of their feats and blood, spilled for good of Mankind.

But Levi....He wouldn't forgive. He wouldn't allow them to behave in such way with him.

"Commander Smith", all of them nodded, "Hurry to fulfill our duty to Mankind?", asked Willy, the leader of the trio.

"Knock on wood! Last week I just sorted papers after the expedition beyond the walls. I don't even know what's worse: giants or giant stacks of papers", Erwin smiled, hoping for a good ending of the conversation.

The trio was laughing politely.

"I refused to become a commander due to such a thing", Jack said,"You have to do a lot of things: to fight, to deal with papers, to make decisions. As for me, I prefer to fight, because life doesn't seem so extremely boring and... I absolutely hate all of this bureaucratic crap."

"You really have a one track mind", and Andreas snorted, "Are you going to cut necks until the very end of the days of your life?"

"Did you see a lot of old buffers here? It's not bad to turn thirty."

"The commander is the perfect example, isn't it?"

"I'm a very lucky man", Erwin laughed a bit.

"So. And you, Jack, can't boast for something like this. Do you remember how your horse took you off and you fell almost underneath titan's feet? It was hilarious."

"Erwin, let's go", Levi's voice was quiet, but there was no compromises. He had been standing behind Erwin's back for all that time. He didn't hide. He just didn't want to contact with the solders. Being aside was more comfortable for him.

"Who you are and where are you from, boy?", asked Willy and turned to the new hero.

Levi was keeping silence with crossed arms on his chest. He was showing his full indifference to the dialogue.

"Your son, commander?"

"A son?", Erwin laughed again, "No, just a newcomer, who will become one of us soon."

"He call you by name. We've known each other for years and we respect subordination", Andreas noticed, being dissatisfied.

"I allowed him", the atmosphere of the conversation was getting worse and worse.

"What this milksop can do?", Jack's voice was full of mockery, "They always recruit jerks and we have to protect their asses. Does he know how to hold the blades?"

Erwin was going to say that it was he, who had "recruited" the boy, and that no one had to look after him. But it was too late.

"Hey, you'd better to protect your own ass or my blade will be on the inside."

"What? Smith? What the hell?" Jack was absolutely confused, 'cause such a response was so unexpected for the experienced soldiers. Actually, the newcomers chose to keep silence or to hide behind their mentors, and tried to cope with all the difficulties of the training period. Usually all jokes and offensive remarks ended after the first expedition beyond the walls: because of death or sense of mental connection. In the first case, there was no one to laugh at, In the second case there was just no use, because people, who had survived in such hell together, were more than friends and comrades. They had common fear and memories about Death's cold breathing.

There was a chance that a month after one of them would save Levi from a titan's jaws. Erwin knew it exactly: some inner conflicts and disputes couldn't force the soldiers of the Survey Corps to leave each other under threat. It was the main their difference from the other comrades. There, beyond the walls, they forgot their lives and a lot of things devalued. They had just one aim: to survive. To save a life. Your own one, your comrade's or teammate's. Soldiers relied on and believes in each other. So, they existed and were strong enough.

"Calm down! Firstly, Levi, it's all about you right now."

"There's something interesting even inside the walls. What a big surprise", Willy chuckled. The situation seemed to be pretty comic for him.

Jack and Andreas were sullen and angry. Erwin had no use to look at Levi, 'cause he knew about his mood at that very moment.

"Your Levi, commander, should apologize to us, who are the senior in rank", Andreas said.

"Why won't you go and fuck yourself, motherfucker?"

Apologized. Erwin was thinking sadly about his reputation. He grabbed Levi's collar of the shirt, like he was a guilty kitten. Smith was dragging him forward and boy's heels couldn't even touch the ground.

"Behave yourself, boy!"

Levi was trying to escape. He was beating commander's hands and his face turned red. Erwin unclenched his fingers and Levi almost fell on the ground.

"Right way to control them", Andreas added.

"I have to go", Erwin replied and pushed Levi to the entrance of the building of the Survey Corps.

"Damn your fucking Legion!", Levi angrily threw the gear on the floor and started nervously unbuttoning the straps, "I don't want to be here anymore. How I could agree on your insane offer!"

Erwin enraged too. He was tired because of unsuccessful attempts to prove something to the boy. If he didn't understand, Smith would explain differently.

Smith caught his elbow and grabbed boy's hair.

"Did you forgot what I had done for you? Did you forget that I saved your worthless ass from a bullet? You're a pathetic criminal. You don't exist for society. Your fate is to die in prison. If I hadn't broken the rules, you could just dream about freedom. You belong to me! You will do exactly what I say. You will become my soldier and follow my orders. Each one of them. You have no choice and right to vote for or against."

Levi turned white. Erwin realized again that he found his sore points.

Humiliated. Know your place, boy.

Would he understand?

"Don't. Say. This.", Levi hissed.

"I'm stronger than you. If you're stronger, you lead. You know this, Levi.", Erwin made him kneel and sat down in front of him. The difference of their heights was big enough, so he was still looking down at him," I won't let you go. Your life is in my hands."

Levi was silent.


	3. The wings.

It's all a game, avoiding failure, when true colors will bleed  
All in the name of misbehavior and the things we don't need  
I lust for after no disaster can touch, touch us anymore  
And more than ever, I hope to never fall, where enough is not the same it was before ©

He was silent when Erwin let him go a couple of minutes later, having left bright bruises on his hand and pulled some strands of Levi's hair. He was silent, when they were coming back home the same dangerous road as in the morning. Having come, Levi went to the kitchen, still silent, and stayed there.

Smith didn't even tried to do something. He was still trembling with anger. Erwin hadn't allowed himself to feel like that for a long time. At one moment he even felt pretty awkward and wanted to apologize for his aggression. Anyway, the commander knew that people like Levi respected strength and truculence, and there was no use to 'kneel' in front of the boy for the hundredth time.

Erwin tried to unwind a bit and decided to recheck yesterday's papers. Martin messed up all the papers, due to the incident with Levi, and put them in the wrong order and mixed with his documents. Smith found a decent amount of other documents, that were not related to the business of the Survey Corps, and immediately put it on the other side of the table. However, one paper attracted his attention. The paper was about Levi's, if he remained in custody, and all other criminals' future fate. Erwin didn't believe in the information he had just read. Humaneness wasn't a great idea how to deal with the criminals, but that words made his heart sank into his boot.

Smith abruptly got up and went to the kitchen. Past disputes between him and Levi were erased under the yoke of this information. The boy should know about his possible future fate and understand why it was so important to be able to live beyond the walls.

As soon as Erwin turned to the kitchen doorway, he saw his entire life flash before his eyes due to a knife blade that almost touched the carotid artery. Smith thought if Levi intentionally missed or he just did not have the strength of the jump and a couple of inches of distance?

He didn't immediately feel a burning pain on the collarbone. The blade touched his skin. Erwin instinctively touched the cut and a lot of blood remained on his fingers.

Levi hit with full force.

Erwin doubted whether to answer him the same. The enemy was dangerous, but nothing prevented Smith from providing Levi that he could break his bones with only one hand. Or...did he underestimate the boy?

Two more attacks, Erwin dodged and started his offense. The commander knew what the boy was going to do, when he raised his hand and rested the feet on the edge of the table. A moment later he jumped from the floor, leaning on the table, and hit a roundhouse kick.

Erwin caught a thought about how incredible Levi's speed was and heard the crunch of his nose, recoiling back. Levi struck him as badly as he was a male of Erwin's height and weight.  
Smith tried to catch Levi's leg, but he jumped back, accidentally knocking down the kitchen cabinets with the dishes. It scattered in all directions with a wild clang.

It was necessary to disarm Levi. Blows, bruises and fractures were not a problem, but a knife blade in the belly was a serious one. Levi had already realized what the commander was going to do and tried not to be caught by Erwin. Levi didn't try to attack him once again. He was just deftly moving around the perimeter of the kitchen. The broken dishes were rattling under their feet, but both didn't pay any attention to background noise. Gaze strictly eye-to-eye. If you missed, you would die.

Erwin waited for a moment, when the destination between them would be shorter. The commander punched Levi's stomach painfully and violently enough. Levi crushed into the wall and started breathing nervously, panicking. He lost control for a moment, but it was enough for Erwin. The commander grabbed Levi's hand with a knife in it and wrung it. Levi screamed, but didn't unclenched his fingers. Erwin, without any regrets, hit Levi's hand against the wall and it worked. The knife fell somewhere into the mess of the debris and Smith pushed Levi out of the kitchen to the hall. The boy felt on the floor, but rose immediately. The right fist was covered with blood, hit to the bones, but it seemed that there was nothing to care about.

Erwin wiped the blood under his bleeding nose. Anger, which seemed to be gone, returned and he became as furious as a wild animal. Smith let his aggression go beyond the walls, where he could cut titan's flesh with a sharp blade, but here, in a peaceful place, he supposed to be a calm and intelligent person. No one ever saw Erwin enraged. No one had ever forced him to become so angry before, like Levi did. This was the point of no return. He couldn't stop.

Something appeared in the depth of Erwin's sight. Something dark, bloody and frightening. It was so scary that Levi stepped back and there was something like a real sincere fear in his eyes.  
He tried to escape, but Erwin was holding Levi's neck and hands. Levi started turning pale and lost his breath because of tight Erwin's hug. Levi was vainly shuffling in his hands. Erwin let him go a moment later and Levi bent in two and tried to clear his throat, but Smith didn't allow him to do this and punched the boy into the stomach with a knee. Finally, Erwin hit boy's back of the head with his feet and Levi fell down on the floor, cuddled and pressed his hands onto the stomach.

If this bandit supposed that everything had already ended, he was absolutely wrong. While writhing, he couldn't even take a weak breath. Smith took his gear out of a pantry. He spent just a minute to equip and, having grabbed Levi's hair, got him up. His legs were braided, hi couldn't breathe, just wheeze, but Erwin pulled him to the doorway out of the house. Pitch of darkness had already covered the city and gave humanity another quiet night.

Not for them.

***

It took pretty a lot of time for Levi to catch his breath.

"Where do you take me?", he asked huskily.

Erwin was silent. He was taking Levi somewhere in roundabout ways, trough back streets, courtyards and the country roads.

"Er...win", Levi was balancing between reality and fainting, but feebly tried to resist the hug.

Smith squeezed his hair stronger and hurried up a bit. They got onto the forest and started and long walk down the pathways. There were a lot of brunches in front of his face, which could scratch his skin or even injure the eyes. When trees disappeared at last, they saw a masonry of the wall Maria. Levi couldn't stand up, so he was leaning against Smith, because their long way exhausted him completely.

"Nice time to wake up", Erwin roughly slapped Levi's face.

He blinked once and again, and turned his head.

"Where are we?"

"Look around."

He didn't restrain and moaned, when he figured out that they were standing on the very edge, covered with darkness...

"Titans?!"

"Titans."

Levi was standing on the very edge of the wall Maria, touching the stonework only with his toes. Erwin was holding his chest strap and just because of that the boy hadn't already fell down from the cliff and met his death.

Although the skies were deep black and the moon was covered with thick heavy rain clouds, you could see the shapes of the ugly titan's bodies, which were beating their fists against the wall. When they got the wind of long awaited food, they started slurping with great relish. It was almost thirty meters to fall down into their jaws. It had been a real torture as well to count the last seconds of your life before their enormous teeth would dig into your legs and arms, breaking the body into pieces and taking the prey away.

Levi had regained consciousness and then stretched his hands to Erwin, attempting to catch something. He had never seen that creatures before and his fear was so great, like another's one was. It didn't matter how strong warrior you were, because titans were able to break your fighting spirit with only their appearance and no one could explain the reason why did they were so awfully scaring. Erwin often saw such soldiers, who threw away their blades and ran away from the battlefield or had committed suicide before they got into titan's jaws. Even the commander couldn't get used to their creepy faces and disproportionate bodies. Although they weren't frightening anymore, he was disgusted even after many years of service.  
He knew so well what enemies could do and often beheld the consequences of their meals.

Such fear would disappear just when the last titan in the world was killed. Only then the walls would become unnecessary for anyone and to achieve this goal Smith needed someone such as this fucking kid.

"Consider that your remains are lying there!", Erwin yelled, " You're not more than food for titans!"

Erwin loosed the strap. Levi's eyes widened with horror and feet slid down. It seemed to him that such a moment was lusting forever. He would always remember it, if he survived. Smith caught his neck, when one Levi's leg was above the abyss, stepped a bit forward and Levi found himself hanging over the cliff. He pulled his feet and attempted to touch stonework of the wall with his very toe tips.

Erwin was waiting. His would have no regrets, if he unclenched his fingers.

Levi was so frightening like never before and didn't even tried to look fearless and extremely strong as many times earlier. It seemed to Erwin that he saw Levi's young clear soul, foolish dreams and naive hopes. One gesture and there would remain nothing, except gnawed bones and blood stains on the wall.

It had taken plenty of time before Erwin stepped back and threw the boy onto the stonework.

He was lying there for sometime without any moves, but then he rose abruptly, put his palms upon the mouth and trembled. Levi got closer to the edge of the wall and leaned over it. Erwin, who was looking at the boy with disgust, sighed.

His anger was fading away and it seemed that nature calmed down too. Icy cold wind ceased and the crescent of the moon appeared from behind of the clouds, lighting the spot with weak silvery glow.

Having puked, Levi fell down his knees and bowed his head. Only his heavy breathing could be heard in the silence of the night.

Erwin didn't look at him, dealing with his own thought about future actions. He had already killed people, choosing a wrong way, or ordered a cruel command. He knew such responsibility and grief. Although Levi wasn't a peaceful civilian, he was a human being of flesh and blood. Moreover, Erwin had never killed someone with his own hands.

"Why is it here...?"

Smith turned to the voice and saw, that Levi was holding something. Erwin made a couple of steps forward and realized that it was a common neck chain. Levi clenched his fingers and raised his head.

"They all were brought here, weren't they? They were thrown away like rubbish", Levi looked towards the edge of the cliff.

Erwin didn't understand, why Levi said it, but nodded.

"I didn't know and I wouldn't have known unless the mixed up papers. The authorities experiment on something", Erwin said gloomily, looking at the crowd of titans. There was at least a dozen, "You were collected to feed them. Maybe they want to lure them more, but what for...Marsh lied to me about a prison. Criminals were brought to the wall immediately. There are no residential settlements or fields of crops, a dead zone, within a couple of kilometers. It is actually dead. You could bring here a dozen of criminals and give them the last flight without witnesses."  
"Experiment? The Corps explores titans, isn't it?"

"This shit doesn't belong to us. We would never do something like that", Erwin answered crossly.

"I think there's no aim, Erwin. Prisons are full and criminals are...expensive. They got rid of us, once and forever", Levi kept silence for minutes, staring at the abyss, like he wanted to see something else instead of titan's heads, " They were my friends. That trio. Ren, who was taken away firstly, joined us no longer than a half of a year ago. He hasn't done anything awful yet...And all of them are there. Dead. No one can bury them. May be there's nothing remained...And I definitely don't want to be in their fucking jaws," Levi put his palm on the very edge of the wall, " It was his chain. Die out, you bastards", he threw the jewelry away with force, " I haven't even imagined that one day I will see them so close", he almost whispered.

Erwin was silent.

Silence wasn't meaningless. It was filled up with physical bitterness of revelations. The night was ready to absorb others pain at all.

Something was going to end there. May be, the world would be destroyed for the revival of the new world to start with the first daylight.

"I was born and lived in a well-known rich family. Father had a couple of farms, which supplied some areas. He had been succeeding in his business for many years, but one day everything decreased, due to some pests destroyed the crop. The looses were significant, but not fatal, and it would be restored later. But my father could not accept the reduction of even a small percentage of the income. He was furious because of it and raved that we became beggars on the street. And mother... everything that she wanted was just to live better than anyone. She wanted neighboring whores to envy her luxurious clothes and wealth", Levi stopped talking for some time and then continued, but his voice sounded differently, "They sold me on the black market. Brought me somewhere into the woods, they told me we were going to ride horses, and left me there in an old hut, owned by slave traders. I heard my father counting coins. I heard my mother thinking out loud about new things to fill up her wardrobes. I heard them talking about the price. I was thirteen years old, Erwin. They broke me soon. How else could it be...all the years before I had live in warmth and, as I had thought, in love and then they threw me into the dirt", his voice broke, "Every day in dirt outside and inside. You've already guessed something like that, haven't you? When you saw my scars. I didn't immediately realize that I must fight", Levi rolled a sleeve of his shirt, "I tried to die, but they didn't allow me. Once they broke both arms", the boy started laughing nervously, " And then asked how would I cut myself... I had never wanted anything more than to die, but then... Have you ever thought about why do I follow you?"

Erwin, who hadn't been moving for all this time, winced. He was frightened to scary Levi off with his gesture or a word, and just shook his head.

"I saw you. Soldiers of the Survey Corps", Levi pierced Smith with his gaze and continued talking only after the commander had sit down in front of him, "The soldiers were passing by the hut, where I was captured. They were not alike such assholes and motherfuckers, which I used to see. Such angry, cruel and addicted to violence perverts. It seemed they were aliens. The only alive in this hell, the only truly free. I remembered these wings", he touched the patch on Erwin's chest pocket, " I realized that I must fight for my freedom instead of cutting my arms in despair, and I escaped. And then...you've already guessed. I tried to survive as I could, and it turned to a habit. It was better on the street. It was better everywhere, then there, in the hut".

Levi sighed and raised up, wiped his face with a hand. Erwin raised up too after him and stayed aside.

"I found mommy and daddy three years later and killed them", he said indifferently, "And forgot their surname. It has nothing to do with me".

"Is 'Levi' your real name?"

"Yes, I like it", he stopped talking and licked his lips, " Erwin, I can't leave it all in my past. I hold on because of just one thought. I have to take revenge on them, the bastards, that kept me locked. I have been trying to find them for seven years, and I must end this all", Levi squeezed his hand into a fist, " They pay off the police, I know, there's no law for them. Everyone knows what they do. But everyone keeps silence."

"If you want to put out their guts, I won't stop you."

"I didn't think that you could do such a thing."

"I suppose you understood it well, when I was hanging you above the abyss."

Levi nodded.

"You seemed to me so right and noble, like those common foolish heroes, that were ready to sacrifice themselves on the battlefield if you allowed them. I always supposed it to be such a nonsense. Death in the name of goodness is so stupid. But you are...a terrifying person. You can follow the way of blood and make such decisions that will demolish for the hell all the rules and morals. I look at you and can just guess what you can do. I don't know why you haven't unclenched your fingers, and, probably, I will never know, but you let me live", a cunning light flashed in Levi's eyes, " I'll join the Survey Corps to kill this fucking giant assholes, not to die like a captured rat, surrounded with walls, not to let the hypocritical authorities to throw people to feed titans. I will join the Survey Corps, because I can trust you. Now I see, who you are."

"You attempted to kill me a couple of hours ago", Smith noticed in melancholy.

"You equated the score", Levi rubbed his neck and signed, "I will follow you, Erwin Smith, just order."

In the abyss of the night Levi buried his past. He stayed on the edge, he is renewed. His past crashed to the ground and unspoken pain spilled on the grass, torn into pieces in the mouths of the titans.

It was the point of no return.

In the abyss of the night new Levi was born again.

"Go", said his commander, and Levi obeyed.

They returned home late at night. Ignoring the mess in the house, exhausted Erwin got to the bed and sit down on the edge. No, it wasn't the training, that exhausted him, not the fight with Levi or that he hicked up and back the wall. He felt strange moral tranquillity and relaxation. He wanted to fall asleep.

"Cut them", authoritative voice turned Levi to reality. The boy was standing in front of the mirror, running his fingers through the hair, "Now."

The offer was too tempting. Erwin trying not to yawn, rose and stood behind Levi and weightlessly touched his hair.

"How?"

"Doesn't matter. I don't want to look like now any more. Consider that it's my little ritual of parting with my past."

"Then I'll do it how I want."

"Go ahead, commander."

"Strange haircut", said Levi a bit later, looking at the mirror and seeing himself newborn. Erwin left the front strands long to his ears but the nape and the temples he cut and shaved, "Oh, wait, I see. You want me to remember how you pulled me, grabbing my hair, to the wall and how you held them in the basement and of the police building. So you left them long. How ironic, Erwin."

"I want always have an opportunity to remind you what happens, when you don't behave yourself", he whispered the phrase and it seemed so intimate.

"You'd better get rid of the hairs on my cloths", Levi noticed, shaking off fastidiously.

Erwin just laughed. He started getting used to Levi's habits and peculiarities. One of them is the mania of cleanliness, which doesn't fit his past life. He had to wear dirty clothes day by day and live somewhere he could.

Smith supposed that such obsession appeared because of Levi's childhood, when he had comfortable life in cleanliness and convenience.

Erwin didn't know that by getting rid of real dust and dirt, he tried to wash the dirt that was on inside.

One day he would do this.

Smith returned to his bed and started to take off his shoes. His thought were about tomorrow's morning, about the daily routine of affairs and plans. But it wasn't so simple and the day wasn't going to end.

Putting the boots aside, Erwin straightened his back to put away the straps, and stopped. Levi stood in a couple of meters from him, wearing just Erwin's shirt, what was damaged with blood and dirt. He unbuttoned the shirt and, removing his arms back, allowed the fabric to slip down his shoulders.

A few smooth steps forward, and sat down on Smith's knees, hugging his neck.

"Levi?"

"I opened you all my soul. Nothing to hide", Levi was leisurely touching Erwin from the shoulder to the palm. Smith took Levi's hands and interlaced their fingers.

"The story of your unhappy childhood mixed up my feelings."

"Oh, don't worry about it. There's no problem. Don't do this hard."

Erwin looked at Levi's right hand, which he had had to hit against the wall a couple of times. A thick crust of blood clotted around the knuckles and fingers, and bluish skin could be seen through.

"Forgive me. I overdid", Erwin touched the fingers with lips and then with his tongue, licking the blood, "But it seems that you've broken my nose, and it will be crooked".

"It won't spoil you", Levi put away his hand and touched Erwin's hair. He had looked so strict at the break of dawn, having the hair traditionally combed back, but after the night, full of accidents, his perfect hairdo disheveled and tousled. Long strands covered Erwin's forehead.

Levi caressed Erwin's hair strand by strand, he got closer to the hair and took a deep breath, catching the smell of him. Anyway, both of them smelled blood. Although they belonged to the different sides of the law, the world was the same for them.

Smith let Levi's injured hand go, when he felt like vomiting because of blood taste. Having looked at Levi with a question, he touched the scars on the left wrist. He was sure that Levi had never allowed anyone to do this. He hid the wounds so desperately and carefully, like a noble family hid licentious daughter or how Clergy conceal the knowledge about the external world from the crowd.

"Don't hurt yourself any more. Don't allow anyone and anything to cause you pain", Erwin said strictly, caressing the most noticeable scar with his thumb, "No one will ever be able to even scratch you, when you become strong. You will be the strongest man."

"Yes, sir!", Levi's voice turned low, his breathing almost burnt Erwin's cheek. He moaned so loud and so hot, feeling commander's palm between his legs. Just one this sound of the moan could turn Smith on, " I wanted to say, that I didn't sleep yesterday and felt, how you were touching me shamelessly. I liked it, and I demonstrated you this. But you didn't desire to continue", Levi licked his lips for effect, leant back and led Erwin's hand that was caressing his dick. Such a pace was hard to sustain long. Levi gasped because of pleasure and quickly unzipped Erwin's trousers, " Stop it. I want you on the inside. Now", some kind of sharpness appeared in his voice.

Erwin put his fingers on Levi's lips and the boy opened his mouth without resisting. He started licking them with pleasure. At the same time he was trying to undo the straps on man's chest, but he didn't succeed.

"Don't try to get everything immediately", Smith grinned. Levi's unclear sight was full of desire. Erwin didn't even imagine that boy's sight could be so full of passion...No. Explicit lust.

Levi put Erwin's hand between his own legs and got up on man's fingers, resting his forehead on commander's chest. He threw back his head for Smith to see his face. Erwin didn't know what for, but couldn't look anywhere else. The commander was trying to remember boy's parted lips, drops of sweat on his forehead, his tousled hair. He remembered and understood that Levi had also changed him too. He understood that Levi would wait for him after going beyond the walls, blame for the injures and help to patch them up. And Erwin would think about him, that very moment, being on the edge of death, and try to everything to come back alive. Erwin wouldn't allow him to die to see his lips, hair, eyes and feel his warm body so close once again.

The world is cruel and insane, but nothing didn't seem terrifying when there was someone so violent and mad, who learned how to survive.

Someone as violent and mad as Erwin Smith.

"In this story you will be a hero, and I'm a monster", suddenly said Levi, "but...you are the real one".

Erwin knew. He tightly squeezed Levi's hips, when the boy got his dick inside, and caught his moan, kissing the lips. Their kiss was like a game, a confrontation, a murder. Everything they had been trying to brought to the logical finish for two days, finally ended right at that moment. Erwin held Levi's face not to let him move away, and continued kissing. When they finally got rid of their breathing, they just touched each other's lips.

Levi's was moving strangely careful and consistent. There was nothing of the nervousness with which he spoke and reacted to the accidents around. The movements were precise and accurate, without superfluous bustle. It reminded Smith boy's fighting style. Levi exactly knew when to stop, to squeeze inside and when to continue, having done a good motion with his hips. Pretty painful motion, may be, because Levi bit his lip and grabbed Erwin's wrist. But it was rather an exception of the rule. The boy was moving gently and rhythmically, and Erwin didn't resist, however, he preffered more hard and quick sex instead of such smooth motions. Hard sex was good enough to calm down after being beyond the walls. It wasn't desire, but necessity. But with Levi Erwin felt exactly that desire. Desire of satisfaction, sweet, great pleasure, which one day would become an addiction.

Erwin didn't want it.

But he wanted Levi.

Levi was putting away Erwin's shirt, when he finally removed the fucking straps. Boy's palms were caressing Erwin's chest and neck, his shoulders, but then he made up his mind to use his tongue and.. He didn't just licked man's skin, but purposefully touched the scars of the wounds that Erwin got during the service.

The old ones and new, rough marks and barely visible cuts. Many of them were right on each other. Levi had a lot of his own scars, but he wanted so much to be related to someone's pain, to grasp it and taste, like fine wine.

They both would have plenty of scars.

Levi straightened his back and followed the horizontal line on Erwin's chest with his finger, the line of the strap mark. It would always be there and a dozen of other on man's body.

"Will I have the same marks?"

"Yes. They reflect on skin quickly."

Levi nodded indifferently and leant back, resting his hands on Erwin's knees. He slowed down a bit and moved painfully quietly. It seemed to be so mockery and Smith grabbed boy's shoulder, being annoyed. Levi had looked at him with surprise and a moment later he found himself underneath the man. Such a sudden change didn't satisfy the boy and distaste appeared on his face...but it died out immediately, when Erwin continued moving. Levi crawled on the bed, clutching the blanket in his arms, and moaned so frankly. How ridiculous that Levi, who wasn't emotional in life, demonstrated his feelings during sex. Smith liked the discrepancy, because he wanted to see such Levi again and again, when he would be tired due to his usual taunts and gloom.

He cumed quietly with a tired moan, touching Erwin's cheeks. Smith made a couple of movements inside the wet, hot body, and finally got to the end.

"It's better to do the laundry", calmly said Levi and looked at the ceiling, touching the pillow without an aim.

"It is. Wait a moment", Smith went to the bathroom to leave there his dirty pants, and when he returned, Levi had already fallen asleep. Truly asleep that time. They didn't undo the bed, so Levi was lying on the blanket. Erwin did not come up with anything better than to cover his lover with the uniform cape, "These wings belong to you", he said instead of 'good night'.

Levi had such a deep sleep, so he couldn't hear the words, but, perhaps, he was dreaming about the wings.

***

Glistening in the sun, blades cut through the flesh around the neck of the titans so quickly that you couldn't notice the movements and count dead enemies. All divisions of the army and town were flooded with the rumour that there was a soldier, who could deal with the titans even better than groups of several dozens of soldiers. People expected to see a new hero, a confident strong and trained man, a real fighter and a noble warrior. How they were surprised, when it turned out that the strongest soldier of the humanity was a moody short and lean guy, named Levi, who didn't have a surname and, moreover, who wasn't shy to scold out loud and demonstrate his negative relation about excessive attention. People turned away from him so quickly and called him a 'beast' and a 'monster'.

All soldiers knew that he was not trained in the Cadet Corps and that he was brought to the Legion by one of the commanders, by Erwin Smith. Nobody knew, where he found such a warrior, but they didn't hurry to ask. Levi was silent too. The commander was the one man, with whom Levi spoke and whose company made him not to look gloomily any more.  
Survey Corps business was gradually succeeding because of Levi's fighting skills and Erwin's astute mind. The feats for the Humanity didn't remain unnoticed. A couple of years later Erwin was appointed to the post of the commander-in-chief and became the head of the Legion.

During the solemn ceremony in honour of the preferment, the lance corporal Levi was standing behind the commander's back, and an unexpected distinguishable smile appeared on his face, pretty strange for his usual state.

"You are a real hero, commander Smith", they heard from all around, "Thanks to you! Humanity has a chance to get out the walls! Glory to the Scouting Legion!"

Erwin smiled friendly and shook hands with everyone, accepted congratulations and prepared for a speech. The lance corporal Levi suddenly turned away and directed his gaze into the distance. Nobody, except him, knew how much blood of the subordinates Erwin spilled and how much he was going to spill. His obsession to win this war was both mad and full of ice-cold reasoning. Erwin was ready to put everything on the line, and now, after he had become the commander-in-chief, he had the right to do this. He would win or lose every soldier. Levi played his part in Erwin's career and fate. He was standing right there, by his side, covered to the throat with blood. The blood kept pouring on and on all the time. He would have already drowned, but every time after having gone beyond the walls, Erwin called him a hero and kissed like at the first time, and Levi knew that their game was still in progress.

Levi put his hands upon the handles of the blades and stared at Erwin's back, who was a commander and a lover, a saviour in past and, perhaps, the only one friend in present. Levi knew for sure that he would continue fighting for him as long as Erwin needed.

"Will you withstand?"

"I will."


End file.
